Kerala Assembly rocked by SFI-YC clash row; LDF MLA displays broken police baton before walkout

The Kerala Legislative Assembly witnessed heated exchanges on Monday as the ruling Congress-led UDF and opposition CPM-headed LDF traded sharp accusations over a violent campus clash at the Kerala University hostel. The clash involved the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPM, and the Youth Congress, the youth wing of the Congress party. The opposition staged a dramatic walkout after the Speaker rejected their motion to suspend House business to debate the incident.

Broken baton shown during assembly clash

Moving the adjournment notice, LDF MLA V. Joy displayed a piece of a shattered police baton inside the chamber, alleging it was broken while officers brutally beat students. Describing the violence as "government-sponsored state terror", Joy claimed Cantonment Sub-Inspector Gokul struck students 26 times in just 34 seconds. Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan ordered the Assembly's Watch and Ward to take custody of the baton fragment for formal inspection before turning down the debate.

Leading the walkout, Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan condemned both the incident and the decision to disallow the discussion. "Such things should not happen in Keralam. It is incorrect. We are walking out over denial of permission to the notice," Vijayan said. He further accused the state administration of maintaining a soft approach towards Sangh Parivar group Yuva Morcha, questioning why strict steps were not taken against their activists when they blocked ministers' vehicles.

Flaming torches and stone throwing at campus

The parliamentary clash follows a confrontation on September 30 during a night demonstration by Youth Congress activists demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. As demonstrators passed near the hostel, SFI members hooted at them. Opposition leaders stated the hooting occurred because of a campus power outage, after which Youth Congress marchers threw flaming torches and beer bottles inside the hostel premises. However, the government maintained that SFI activists hooted, threw stones, and hurled beer bottles at the marchers, forcing police forces to step in.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala informed the House that cases were registered against approximately 75 activists from each side, with four arrests made during ongoing investigations. A total of nine cases were filed across Museum, Cantonment, Medical College, and Pettah stations. "Police officers were injured in the incident and police property, including batons, was damaged," Chennithala said. He added that the police force remains unchanged from the previous LDF regime, as the UDF administration has provided no special training since assuming office in May.

Allegations of threats and police misconduct

Tensions rose further as Chennithala accused Joy and former minister Kadakampally Surendran of making death threats against Cantonment police officers. The minister claimed Surendran publicly warned that officers leaving duty "would not be able to caress their children". Rejecting the charge, Joy clarified he had only warned that strikes to the head could prove fatal. Joy issued an open challenge: "If it is proven that in any situation I named any police officer and said I would kill them, I am ready to resign as MLA".

Addressing wider conduct, Chennithala termed threatening social media posts by a police officer against SFI activists "unacceptable", while adding that protest marches to police officers' homes were equally "unacceptable". Reminding the House of police norms, he noted that clear guidelines under the Kerala Police Act prohibit officers from striking anyone on the head.